Polishing roller



Dec. 19, 1967 w. WROBBEL POLISHING ROLLER Filed July 30, 1964 WERNER W/OBBEL Western, 731m 67 .l'ncstem United States Patent 3,358,310 POLISHING ROLLER Werner Wrobbel, Nurtingen, Germany, assignor to t Metabowerke K.G. Closs, Ranch & Schnizler, Nurtingen, Wurttemberg, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed July 30, 1964, Ser. No. 386,366 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 5, 1963, M 58,073 3 Claims. (CI. -97) to the workpiece either a high luster or a satin (matte) The most widely used devices for the polishing operation utilize polishing roller of approximately 500 to 600 mm. length which consist of a number of individual polishing disks arrayed on a rigid shaft. The workpieces may be secured in a holder adapted to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the roller shaft so that the roller can brush each workpiece successively from different directions. Once gripped, the workpieces are pressed against the polishing roller and are given the desired finish by the polishing disks thereof. This entire operation, including charging and discharging of the holder, may be performed automatically or on assembly-line basis.

Generally, this arrangement is satisfactory for workpieces which are of planar configuration. The rate of wear of the polishing disks is then held within economically acceptable limits. This is not so, however, with workpieces having irregular surfaces, particularly where their finishing calls for repeated traverses in different positions. Since the rigid shaft of the roller prevents any radial movement of the disks it follows that the latter cannot yield and follow the uneven contour of the workpiece; instead, they are subjected tosevere deformation by the workpiece with a consequent high rate of wear, even at peripheral roller speeds as low as 18 m/sec. which is regarded as the minimum speed affording an economical balance of polishing effectiveness versus polishing time per workpiece.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a polishing roller that is not subject to the aforementioned drawbacks of current types.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a polishing roller capable of adapting itself to a variety of workpiece contours.

A related object is to provide means in a polishing roller for selectively adjusting the pressure exerted by it upon a particular part of the workpiece surface.

To achieve these objects- Lprovide a polishing roller in which several juxtaposed disks are mounted eccentrically on a shaft with freedom of independent movement thereon in parallel orbital planes about the shaft axis against a restraining force, e.g. gravity. Means may be provided, according to a further feature of my invention, for regulating the pressure exerted by each disk on the workpiece portion contacted by it. It is thus possible to achieve a construction in which each disk of the polishing roller is free to follow the irregular contour of a workpiece by limitedly swinging about their common shaft; the suitably adjusted pressure exerted by each polishing disk on the workpiece remains practically unchanged 3,358,310 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 with this arrangement so that the deformation and wear of the disks are considerably reduced even at high peripheral speeds.

To achieve this motion of the disks it is advantageous to arrange each disk at the end of an outrigger arm which in turn is journaled in hearings on a drive shaft about which it is thus swingable. The number of arms to be so arranged on a common shaft is, of course, governed by the length of the required polishing roller. For the polishing of workpieces of highly irregular and unusual shapes it is advantageous that the outrigger arms be of two-piece construction and that the radial distance between the respective axes of shaft and polishing disk be variable, thus enabling an adjustment of the disks relative to one another in both peripheral and radial direc tion with reference to the drive shaft.

With outrigger arms of two-piece construction I prefer to journal the inner section of each arm, i.e. the part nearer the drive shaft, in antifriction (e.g. ball or roller) hearings on the shaft with a transmission member, such as a pulley, directly adjacent that section and fixedly secured to the shaft; the pulley may be used to seal the adjacent bearings against entry of extraneous matter. A second part, constituting the outer section of the arm, is then secured to the first one with relative longitudinal adjustability and antifriction bearings are provided at the free end of the second section. In the last-mentioned bearings the polishing disk is journaled for entrainment by a driven transmission member, e.g. a further pulley, coupled with the driving transmission member by a suitable linkage such as a belt. The use of a belt drive, which permits slippage between belt and pulley, guards against damage to the disk should a workpiece become wedged against it and prevent its rotation. Adjustable slippage may also be provided by a frictional connection between the driven transmission member and the polishing disk, e.g. via a frustoconical fit.

The means for selectively adjusting the operating pressure exerted upon the workpieces by each polishing disk may comprise individual balancing weights shiftable on extensions of the respective outrigger arms beyond the drive shaft. A fixed stop may be provided to limit the swinging of the arms about the shaft in a direction toward the workpiece, thus defining the permissible extremes of their pendulum motion about the shaft axis.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description, given with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG; 1 is an end view (parts broken away) of a polishing roller embodying my invention; and

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

On a horizontal drive shaft 1 there are provided a plurality of first elongated outrigger-arm sections 4, each supported by roller bearings 3 for independent rotation about the shaft axis. The drawing shows only one such arm in detail, it being understood that it construction is representative of that of all the others. A plurality of drive pulleys 2, each associated with a respective outrigger arm, are immovably mounted on the shaft 1 between successive members 4. The hub portion 4' of these members, defining with shaft 1 an annular clearance which accommodates the bearings 3, is provided on opposite faces with a pair of annular grooves 8 matingly engaged by a complementary annular ridge 9 on an adjoining pulley 2 or, in the case of the outer face of the first hub, by a similar ridge 7 on a special terminal disk 6, thus sealing the bearing space thereof against the entry of extraneous matter. The bearings 3 of each hub portion 4 are axially separated from each other by a spacing ring 5 which also serves to maintain them in position. One end of the drive shaft 1 is is a second section 12 by means of screws 13, the latter being received in slots 14 of sections 12 to facilitate their radial adjustment on the sections 4 relative to the shaft 1. The free end of each section 12 is formed into a ring 15 in which are housed bearings 16 engaging a tubular boss '18 integral with a pulley 17. The inside of boss 18is of conical configuration and adapted to receive a complementary boss 25 of a disk hub 24 which embraces the ring 15 from the side opposite pulley 17 A screw 26 extends through the pulley 17 and threadedly engages the boss 25;

-it is held against axial motion by a spring washer 27,

lodged in an annular recess of the center bore of the pulley, so as to enable adjustment of the contact pressure between boss 18 and boss 25 through which the hub 24 is frictionally entrained by the pulley 17. The pulley 17 is coplanar with pulley 2 and driven from it by a transmission belt 40. The annular clearance inside ring 15, accommodating the bearings 16, is sealed on that side of section 12 which faces the pulley 17 by an annular ridge 20 integral with section 12 and received in a complementary annular recess 21 provided in pulley 17. On the other side of section 12 the bearing space is sealed by a gasket 23 held in place by a jump ring 22.

The hub 24 is provided with a peripheral recess 28 formed in part by a retaining ring 30 of generally L-shaped cross-section. A polishing disk 29 is received within the recess 28. Screws 31 pass through the retaining ring 30 into the hub 24 for tightly clamping the polishing disk 29 therebetween.

Each polishing disk 29, entrained by theshaft 1 via the pulleys 2 and 17, is prevented from axial movement but is able to. swing to a limited extent about the shaft 1. The "swing of each individual disk 29 is governed by the pressure exerted on it by the workpiece 32, FIG. 1, as it moves horizontally back and forth in its holder (not shown) which maintains it in close contact with the underside of the entire polishing roller controlled by the several disks 29. This pressure is made adjustable by the provision of a radially slidable counterweight 38 partially balancing the weight of each disk 29, the inner outrigger-arm sections 4 being provided for this purpose with integral sockets 34 facing away from the disk-carrying outer sections 12. An elongated bar 36 is partly received in the bore 35 of each socket 34 and is secured therein against displacement by a setscrew 41. The bars 36, constituting rearward extensions of the arms 4, 12, carry weights 38 which are slidable thereon radially of the shaft 1 and securable in given positions by setscrews 42. A stop 37 extends transversely across the bars 36 and thus serves to limit the counterclockwise'movement of the latter under their own weight.

The partially polished workpiece 32 with its holder may the polishing process.

The system as herein disclosed is believed to admit a variety of modifications, readily apparent to those skilled 'in the art, deemed to be part of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I. claim: 1. A polishing roller comprising a shaft adapted to be be swung about a vertical axis 33 to a reversed position, vasshown in dot-dash outline in FIG. 1, for completion of 4 pendicular to the axis of said shaft; a respective polishing disk journaled on each of'said arm's'at a locationremote from said shaft for rotation about a respective axis parallel to said shaft, the axes of all disks being in substantial alignment with one another, said arms being biased for swinging said disks parallel to the respective plane toward a workpiece juxtaposed therewith; and respective transmission means coupling each of said disks with said shaft for rotary entrainment thereby, said transmission means including a driving pulley on said shaft adjacent each arm and a driven pulley on each of the respective disks, and an adjustable friction coupling betweensaid driven pulley and said disk, said friction coupling comprising mating frustoconical boss portions directly on said driven pulley and said disk.

2. A polishing roller comprising a shaft adapted to be driven by a power source; a plurality of outrigger arms journaled alongside one another on said shaft for independent swinging movement thereabout; a polishingdisk journaled on each of said arms at a location remote from said shaftfor rotation about an axis parallel to said shaft, the axes of all discs being in substantial alignment with one another, said arms being biased for swinging said disks toward a workpiece juxtaposed therewith; and transmission means coupling said disks with said shaft for rotary entrainment thereby,-said transmission means including a driving pulley on said shaft adjacent each arm and a driven pulley on each of the respective disks, and an adjustable friction coupling between said-driven pulley and said disk, said transmission means being provided with a boss received with annular clearance in an extremity of said arm, and anti-friction bearing means in said clearance, said driven pulley and said disk being disposed on opposite sides of said extremity and, together with the latter, being provided with interfitting annular formations sealing said clearance against the outside.

' 3. A polishing roller comprising a shaft adapted to-be driven by a power source; a plurality of outrigger arms journaled alongside one another on said" shaft for independent swinging movement thereabout; a-polishing disk journaled on each of said arms at a location remote from said shaft for rotation about'an axis parallel to said shaft, the axes of all disks being insubstantial alignment with one another, said arms being biased for swinging said disks toward a workpiece juxtaposed therewith; and transmission means coupling said disks with said shaft for rQtary'entrainment thereby, said transmision means in-v cluding a driving pulley on said shaft adjacent each arm and a driven pulley on each of the respective disks, said.

arms each have a hub surrounding said shaft with annular clearances, said hubs and driving pulleys being provided .with interfitting annular formations, antifriction bearing means in said clearances and means including saidinterfitting formations for sealing said clearances against the outside.

r References Cited .U'NITEDSTATES PATENTS 729,667 6/19()3 Robinson 51-47 372,323 12 /1907 Ketzler 1s+77 x 71,193,421 9/1915 Conklin -6430 1,641,130 3/1927 Elliott 51-47 x "3,205,623 9/1965 Clayborneet al. j 51+47 X A FOREIGN PATENTS j 359,354 3/1932 Great Britain. CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, PrimnryExc rminvers L. G. MAcHLm Asspr m Examiner, 

1. A POLISHING ROLLER COMPRISING A SHAFT ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN BY A POWER SOURCE; A PLURALITY OF OUTRIGGER ARMS JOURNALED ALONGSIDE ONE ANOTHER ON SAID SHAFT FOR INDEPENDENT SWINGING MOVEMENT THEREABOUT IN PLANES PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT; A RESPECTIVE POLISHING DISK JOURNALED ON EACH OF SAID ARMS AT A LOCATION REMOTE FROM SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION ABOUT A RESPECTIVE AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFT, THE AXES OF ALL DISKS BEING IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER, SAID ARMS BEING BIASED FOR SWINGING SAID DISKS PARALLEL TO THE RESPECTIVE PLANE TOWARD A WORKPIECE JUXTAPOSED THEREWITH; AND RESPECTIVE TRANSMISSION MEANS COUPLING EACH OF SAID DISKS WITH SAID SHAFT FOR ROTARY ENTRAINMENT THEREBY, SAID TRANSMISSION MEANS INCLUDING A DRIVING PULLEY ON SAID SHAFT ADJACENT EACH ARM AND DRIVEN PULLEY ON EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE DISKS, AND AN ADJUSTABLE FRICTION COUPLING BETWEEN SAID 